For the second straight night, the Philadelphia Phillies (8-10) gave up double-digit runs to the visiting Chicago Cubs (9-9) by a score of 11-2 on their way to dropping a third straight series.
Jesus Luzardo’s early season struggles continued, allowing nine of the Cubs’ 11 runs on 12 hits, a walk and a wild pitch. Luzardo, sporting a 7.94 ERA, has surrendered five-plus runs in three out of his four starts to begin the year, equalling his total in 32 starts last season.
This third lost series at home
also equals the Phillies’ total from last season. They are 1-5 in series finales.
Trea Turner led off the game with a home run to straightaway center, his second of the season, on the second pitch offered by Cubs’ starter, Shota Imanaga.
Imanaga would allow only two more hits across his six innings of work, a single and a double by Adolis Garcia.
Things seemed to unravel for Luzardo and his backing group in the top of the third inning. After needing only 17 pitches to get through the first and second, Luzardo threw 34 in the third, nine of which went to Matt Shaw who reached on a one-out double. Shaw came home to score on a Nico Hoerner single and then Luzardo walked Alex Bregman. Hoerner and Bregman tried for a double steal and an overthrow by JT Realmuto was dropped by Turner which allowed Hoerner to score and Bregman to reach third. Luzardo’s wild pitch brought Bregman home.
Kyle Backhus allowed one run in 1.2 innings of relief and Dylan Moore took to the mound as the sacrificial lamb for the second time already this year, allowing another run.
Jose Alvarado pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning with one strikeout.
Bryce Harper hammered a garbage-time homer in the bottom of the ninth, his fourth of the year. Edmundo Sosa had the only other hit for the Phillies.
The Phillies have a day off tomorrow before hosting the Atlanta Braves for a weekend series. Taijuan Walker is slated to go up against a TBD Braves’ starter on Friday night.
